Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what Government-sponsored research is currently underway regarding neural tube defect births.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
Through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the Department funds research into the safety of maternity and neonatal services and the national maternity ambition to halve maternal deaths, stillbirths and neonatal deaths and brain injury by 2025. The NIHR’s Oxford Biomedical Research Centre has supported 19 studies on neural tube defects. The NIHR has also funded a £2.2 million multicentre randomised controlled trial, which included children with neural tube defects, to determine the optimal type of shunt to treat hydrocephalus and reduce infection rates. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including research on neural tube birth defects.
Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Kamall on 6 July (HL Deb cols 1001–2) regarding the scientific evidence available regarding folic fortification, whether they will publish the science brief referred to by Lord Kamall referencing heliocentrism versus geocentrism.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The scientific contestation referred to is summarised in the paper Folic acid and neural tube defects: Discovery, debate and the need for policy change by Professor Nicholas Wald. Professor Wald asserts that the United Kingdom should pursue a higher level of fortification than would be permitted by the UK’s Tolerable Upper Level (TUL). A copy of the paper is attached.
The Government and its independent scientific advisory bodies have agreed that fortification of non-wholemeal wheat flour with folic acid, at a level informed by the guidance for supplemental intake of folic acid intake advised by the UK Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals, is a safe and effective measure to reduce the number of neural tube defects (NTDs).
This view is supported by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) and by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). In 2018 COT published Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment: COT position paper on the current upper level for folic acid intake in response to a previous paper by Professor Wald, addressing the technical points raised in objection to the TUL and continuing to recommend its use. A copy of this paper is attached.
Deaths associated with high levels of folic acid refers to potential unintended harms which may arise following the fortification of flour with folic acid, such as an increase in the potential masking of vitamin B12 deficiency or pernicious anaemia where the deficiency can cause permanent neurological damage which can lead to death if untreated.
No recent discussions have taken place with countries which have implemented folic acid fortification on unintended consequences of the policy. However, evidence from a number of countries, including those which have implemented folic acid fortification policies, was considered by the SACN and COT to establish the safety and efficacy of fortifying food with folic acid. Analysis by COT and the SACN found that there was insufficient evidence to discount a number of potential risks at very levels of fortification.
While there is no specific scientific briefing relating to the debate between heliocentrism versus geocentrism, as I stated in the debate, we will routinely review the policy post-implementation to ensure it meets the objective of reducing NTDs while avoiding any unintended consequences. The forthcoming consultation will outline the proposed fortification levels with the supporting scientific rationale.
Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with governments of other nations which operate a policy of mandatory fortification with folic acid regarding any unintended consequences which have arisen.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The scientific contestation referred to is summarised in the paper Folic acid and neural tube defects: Discovery, debate and the need for policy change by Professor Nicholas Wald. Professor Wald asserts that the United Kingdom should pursue a higher level of fortification than would be permitted by the UK’s Tolerable Upper Level (TUL). A copy of the paper is attached.
The Government and its independent scientific advisory bodies have agreed that fortification of non-wholemeal wheat flour with folic acid, at a level informed by the guidance for supplemental intake of folic acid intake advised by the UK Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals, is a safe and effective measure to reduce the number of neural tube defects (NTDs).
This view is supported by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) and by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). In 2018 COT published Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment: COT position paper on the current upper level for folic acid intake in response to a previous paper by Professor Wald, addressing the technical points raised in objection to the TUL and continuing to recommend its use. A copy of this paper is attached.
Deaths associated with high levels of folic acid refers to potential unintended harms which may arise following the fortification of flour with folic acid, such as an increase in the potential masking of vitamin B12 deficiency or pernicious anaemia where the deficiency can cause permanent neurological damage which can lead to death if untreated.
No recent discussions have taken place with countries which have implemented folic acid fortification on unintended consequences of the policy. However, evidence from a number of countries, including those which have implemented folic acid fortification policies, was considered by the SACN and COT to establish the safety and efficacy of fortifying food with folic acid. Analysis by COT and the SACN found that there was insufficient evidence to discount a number of potential risks at very levels of fortification.
While there is no specific scientific briefing relating to the debate between heliocentrism versus geocentrism, as I stated in the debate, we will routinely review the policy post-implementation to ensure it meets the objective of reducing NTDs while avoiding any unintended consequences. The forthcoming consultation will outline the proposed fortification levels with the supporting scientific rationale.
Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Kamall on 6 July (HL Deb col 1000), whether they will give details of the cases where people “have died because of high levels of folic acid”.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The scientific contestation referred to is summarised in the paper Folic acid and neural tube defects: Discovery, debate and the need for policy change by Professor Nicholas Wald. Professor Wald asserts that the United Kingdom should pursue a higher level of fortification than would be permitted by the UK’s Tolerable Upper Level (TUL). A copy of the paper is attached.
The Government and its independent scientific advisory bodies have agreed that fortification of non-wholemeal wheat flour with folic acid, at a level informed by the guidance for supplemental intake of folic acid intake advised by the UK Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals, is a safe and effective measure to reduce the number of neural tube defects (NTDs).
This view is supported by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) and by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). In 2018 COT published Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment: COT position paper on the current upper level for folic acid intake in response to a previous paper by Professor Wald, addressing the technical points raised in objection to the TUL and continuing to recommend its use. A copy of this paper is attached.
Deaths associated with high levels of folic acid refers to potential unintended harms which may arise following the fortification of flour with folic acid, such as an increase in the potential masking of vitamin B12 deficiency or pernicious anaemia where the deficiency can cause permanent neurological damage which can lead to death if untreated.
No recent discussions have taken place with countries which have implemented folic acid fortification on unintended consequences of the policy. However, evidence from a number of countries, including those which have implemented folic acid fortification policies, was considered by the SACN and COT to establish the safety and efficacy of fortifying food with folic acid. Analysis by COT and the SACN found that there was insufficient evidence to discount a number of potential risks at very levels of fortification.
While there is no specific scientific briefing relating to the debate between heliocentrism versus geocentrism, as I stated in the debate, we will routinely review the policy post-implementation to ensure it meets the objective of reducing NTDs while avoiding any unintended consequences. The forthcoming consultation will outline the proposed fortification levels with the supporting scientific rationale.
Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Kamall on 6 July (HL Deb col 999), whether they will cite the “scientific contestation” referred to concerning folic acid fortification as part of the Bread and Flour Regulations review.
Answered by Lord Kamall - Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
The scientific contestation referred to is summarised in the paper Folic acid and neural tube defects: Discovery, debate and the need for policy change by Professor Nicholas Wald. Professor Wald asserts that the United Kingdom should pursue a higher level of fortification than would be permitted by the UK’s Tolerable Upper Level (TUL). A copy of the paper is attached.
The Government and its independent scientific advisory bodies have agreed that fortification of non-wholemeal wheat flour with folic acid, at a level informed by the guidance for supplemental intake of folic acid intake advised by the UK Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals, is a safe and effective measure to reduce the number of neural tube defects (NTDs).
This view is supported by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) and by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). In 2018 COT published Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment: COT position paper on the current upper level for folic acid intake in response to a previous paper by Professor Wald, addressing the technical points raised in objection to the TUL and continuing to recommend its use. A copy of this paper is attached.
Deaths associated with high levels of folic acid refers to potential unintended harms which may arise following the fortification of flour with folic acid, such as an increase in the potential masking of vitamin B12 deficiency or pernicious anaemia where the deficiency can cause permanent neurological damage which can lead to death if untreated.
No recent discussions have taken place with countries which have implemented folic acid fortification on unintended consequences of the policy. However, evidence from a number of countries, including those which have implemented folic acid fortification policies, was considered by the SACN and COT to establish the safety and efficacy of fortifying food with folic acid. Analysis by COT and the SACN found that there was insufficient evidence to discount a number of potential risks at very levels of fortification.
While there is no specific scientific briefing relating to the debate between heliocentrism versus geocentrism, as I stated in the debate, we will routinely review the policy post-implementation to ensure it meets the objective of reducing NTDs while avoiding any unintended consequences. The forthcoming consultation will outline the proposed fortification levels with the supporting scientific rationale.